This invention relates generally to the field of closure liner insertion machines employed to place a planar deformable liner into a container closure or cap for the purpose of providing a compressible seal against the mouth of a container to which the closure is applied. Typical are threaded caps formed of synthetic resinous material having an internally threaded side wall which mates with a corresponding external thread on a container finish, although the invention has application to other types of closures as well.
In the typical container liner insertion machine of this type, it is known to employ a rotating dial having incremental advancement means and having peripherally spaced pockets which receive individual closures to pass them beneath a liner forming and seating device, and subsequently discharge the lined cap for further processing. The liner forming and seating structure normally includes a punch and corresponding die between which a continuous web of lining material is fed in increments. At a pre-determined instant when the movement of the dial is interrupted, the die descends to cut a circular liner from the web and pass it through the die to seat the now cut liner in the closure against the inner surface of an end wall thereof to be secured either frictionally, or by use of a previously applied adhesive. In the prior art, the punch and die assembly has been supported upon posts or other structure which spans the dial, making necessary either an adjustable fixture, or a horizontal support element carried by the posts of varying sizes to enable installment upon the structure carrying the dial. Because dials of varying dimensions are widely used in the industry, installation of a single size punch and die structure presents a problem.